shutt vr thermo vuelta winter jersey

i cannot deny, it was i. several years ago, when in a more mischievous mood than at present, i played fast and loose with cycling's great heritage. in other words, i created a fiction, one that has not actually come back to bite me, but ironically has, on more than a single occasion, brought both knowing and apparently unknowing plaudits by way of a request to re-print or quote.

i was reminded of this fictional extravaganza when recently contacted by the current strategist at shutt velo rapide, mr justin belcher. he had happened upon my potted history of the great willy shutt, one which included a small part of his impressive palmares and subsequent move into textiles and cycling apparel. specifically pertaining to the garment under review, and given willy shutt's commencement of his latest career in november, i had been keen to point to my finger towards the shop door signs emblazoned with 'shutt for the winter'

it seemed quite funny at the time.

i cannot deny that, with reference to the garment currently under inspection, i am slightly confused by the apellation vuelta, a race with which i mostly identify a warm, late summer afternoon siesta. the shutt's microfibre knitted fabric is, to be quite blunt, one of the most satisfying it is possible to wear when the leaves are falling from the trees, disturbingly covering the muddier parts of bridgend wood over which the embarrassment of my velocipedinal squirming was only lessened by the absence of any onlookers. the soft, fleecy lining proved the perfect accompaniment for a hurtle in the woods aboard the contrastingly brightly coloured specialized.

surely the opposite of a siesta?

at which point, might i register my slight disappointment at the single henry ford colour option? with the nights 'fair drawing in', to quote billy connolly, a brighter option would not seem a request too far. the vuelta does, however, feature a highly attractive multi colour edging to the commendably high (and very cosy) collar. the same set of colours appears along the lower left pocket border. and while i'm in the pocket area, those across the lower back of this excellent garment are, to cite a well-used adjective, capacious. unsure as to quite what the weather intended, i had packed both a thermal gilet and a rainjacket, accompanied in the cargo bay by a spare pair of gloves (you can never be too careful), a largish mini-pump, a digital camera and enough coffee money to extend as far as 3kg bag of jumbo porridge oats.

the oats didn't fit in any of the three pockets, or indeed the zipped security pocket piggy backing on that to the right rear.

the fit of my medium-sized review garment was remarkably well-judged and combined with the lycra fabric, offered a cosy closeness that offered no restriction to my laughable attempts to shoulder the specialized while clambering vertically through the undergrowth. the full-length front zip, in contrast with one or two of its competitors, was easily manipulated even when hanging onto the handlebars for grim death. though the jersey's breathability is worth mentioning, it's always a comfort to lower the zip from its garage in order to garner a few centimetres of extra ventilation.

when you realise that the price of this italian made luxury is a very reasonable £79, (currently reduced from £99) any potential criticisms (essentially none, apart from the aforementioned colour restriction and why they named it vuelta), disappear into the early autumn sunset. pretty much all those resident in the northern hemisphere are now in the market for a jersey to fend off autumnal chills, one that can double its benefit by fulfilling precisely the same function when we reach next spring. this is probably the very jersey.